It's been a very long time, I know, but there were many things on my mind: before these summer vacations, us interior designers are very busy, as almost every one plans on renovating their houses in the long summer days. Then there was Legend and Mission Impossible 3… who can resist them? Lolzzz… Anyway, here is my update! In addition to that, I have begun editing RoD. There are gonna be some huge changes, so please go over it once it's done, which'll be in about 2 days. Then I'll post the sequel: "The Eye of Mummy." A big general thank you to ALL reviewers! Please keep on reading and reviewing, it means a lot to me. Enjoy!

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Ending

Chapter 10: Meeting

Lara suddenly lit up. "Then this means that Elliot won't be giving us a visit!" she exclaimed as her hazel orbs met with Kurtis' azure pools, who at that time was inspecting a brochure he took from the store. "Concert," he muttered to himself, as he read the Czech text. His jaw dropped at the title in front of him. "Evanescence!" he gasped.

"Wha-" Lara began when she heard him.

"Oh nothing. Just… nothing," he said as his voice trailed off and he took out his cell phone and went into a corner. He dialed the number for reservations.

"Hello?" the masculine voice on the other end inquired.

"Yes… uh… Firework productions?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I'd like to reserve two seats for the Evanescence concert," Kurtis whispered.

"Prague?"

"Uhh… Is Paris available?"

"I'll check," and the voice shifted to hold.

Moments later, it returned, "Lucky day! Front seats."

"I'll take them. Under the name Kurtis Trent."

"Both?"

"Yes, me Kurtis and a friend Trent."

"Okay, sir."

"Thanks," and he held up.

"Hmm… Me Kurtis and a friend Trent, eh?" Lara inquired, hiking an eyebrow.

"Well… Personal business," Kurtis replied, planning to give her a surprise. After what she said to him in Eckhardt's lab being like him, alone and all, he just wanted her to take a break. After all, who doesn't need one?

'Why are you doing this for her? She's not even a close friend,' His mind objected.

'Well, what's done is done,' a part snapped back.

'What has she ever done for you?'

'Letting me know that I am not the only one in this mess is enough' and with that, the battle of the 'good side' won.

He then realized that Lara had been calling him for sometime now. "Yes!" he exclaimed after snapping to reality.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, glad she had the whole of his attention.

"Oh, nothing," he answered, feeling rather down for a moment. "What'dya say before?" he asked innocently.

"That Elliot won't be able to pay us a visit today," she repeated.

"Well, I don't know about that," he admitted, and secretly hoped he would not. Reluctantly, he began talking in a sensitive subject, carefully choosing his words: "Lara, the reporters, last night, asked you something about being taken in by the North African tribes and Von Croy left you somewhere. What happened, I mean… What made them say that?"

Lara turned serious with an impassive expression on her face. She closed her eyes, as memories with feelings returned; pain, fear… and hope.

"Give me your hand, child!"

"Good to see you too, Werner"

"Quick!"

'No, no, no no no… I can't bear to remember it once more' she painfully thought to herself and turned her back upon Kurtis.

"Lara, you okay?" Kurtis inquired anxiously, as he gripped her shoulder strongly. He applied pressure just so that she would not feel the pain. Why did he want to divide her pain? He just couldn't understand why nor did he want to know.

"Kurtis, I don't think I'm ready yet," she admitted to him, a slight quiver in her tone. Before he could open his mouth to apologize, she turned to him, her head bowed down. She raised it to meet his gaze. "I will tell you, but not now. You're the only one who I could trust with something. I am just… It's fresh and it still hurts. I hope you understand."

"I do Lara, and I won't ask this again till you don't feel like telling me your experience yourself on your own free will. Trust me," Kurtis reassured her.

"I do trust you, only you," she whispered in a deathly tone. Before they knew it, there was a knock on the door. Kurtis saw in through the peephole.

'Talk of the devil and the devil is here' he muttered in her mind sarcastically.

'Elliot?' Lara returned.

'Who else?' thought back Kurtis.

"Monsieur Trent, Mademoiselle Croft!" he called out, more of a question than a statement.

Kurtis opened the door. "Inspector Elliot!" Kurtis exclaimed cheerfully, "What a pleasant surprise!"

'NOT' he angrily whispered in Lara's mind.

"Why thank you Monsieur Trent, and (ahem) Mademoiselle Croft?"

"Good afternoon, sir," Lara called as she entered the small gallery.

"Good afternoon," he rather snapped.

"Come in," Kurtis gestured toward the room with his hand. When Elliot entered, he stood behind the open door and made a horrible face on is back. Lara fought back an urge to laugh.

The inspector warmed himself in front of the fire. "I just came here to say that we found a few clues in the Strahov complex."

"Yes," Lara eagerly encouraged.

"We found out that the Strahov was a Mafia meeting point and some illegal activities had been going on in there for quite a sometime now," John explained, his gray eyes in a stony expression.

"Go on," Kurtis insisted, dead serious.

He nodded: "We were able to find unlicensed weapons and many sorts of mutants and deadly plants."

'Boaz and Muller sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!' Kurtis mocked.

'Yeah! Unfortunately, both are dead!' Lara replied.

"Then?" Lara asked, considering, and trying to look interested in Elliot's babbling.

"We found many dead bodies there. Here are the pictures of them," and he produced about a dozen photographs from his coat pocket and handed them to the partners. "Take your time."

They sat cuddled together as they viewed the photographs. Lara gasped at the first one, "Luddick!"

"A journalist from the 'Daily Prague'. And how did you know him?"

"He helped me get into the Strahov. Got me the low-level pass code," Lara automatically answered.

"And then you decided to kill him, right?"

"NO!" she angrily roared and snapped her head up to meet Elliot's amused gaze. She felt like killing him right there. "I saw someone kill him! I was up in the duct!"

"Just checking you, we knew you possibly didn't kill him. We got both yours and Trent's fingerprints from the metal gates. On Luddick's body, were no fingerprints, but yours on the duct. We were able to find out that at the time of Luddick's murder, you were up in the duct," he informed her, then added proudly, "We search every tiny detail. In addition, we know have a big doubt on you being the Monstrum, since you were up in the duct, you may not have killed him."

"I didn't, Lara replied coldly.

"The Monstrum sign was on the wall and since you were in the duct." Before Lara could sigh in relief, he said, "But you could have done it later as we found a cut on his left arm. Don't push your luck, Lady Croft. Everyone is a suspect, and you still remain our prime suspect. Nothing much has changed."

'You did a good thing, Lara.'

'What did I do?'

'Not revealing Eckhardt. Could've raised suspicion.'

'D'you think I'm that stupid. Well, I'm not!'

'I never said you were. Anyway…'

The next photograph belonged to Boaz's spider form, and then the pixie transformation. "We found bullet holes in both these creatures. I suppose-"

"Yeah, we killed 'em" Kurtis finished for him.

"And what was this thing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kurtis shrugged innocently: "Dunno, we were just defending ourselves against it."

They proceeded then came uhh… the head of the nymph. Trying to keep a stony expression when he wanted to roll on the floor laughing, Kurtis glanced at the next picture. The Proto Nephilim, it's orange eyes still gazing at nothing.

'Man, those Shards are deadly!'

'Was this the thing you killed whilst I planned how I'd butcher you when you'll return to the air lock after turning the power back on?' she panted as she said the whole thing in one breath.

'The very same.'

Next was the picture of Gunderson, slumped over the doorway lying wide open. He must be trying to see what all the commotion was when Lara and Kurtis had escaped through the hole in the wall. 'Poor guy' Lara thought to herself.

Eckhardt was up next, three holes for shards in his body. His head lying limply on his chest and legs wide open. Lara decided to lay out a drama. She covered her mouth with her hand as her mouth had formed an 'O' shape, and pointed at the picture with eyes popping out. "Lara, you okay?" Kurtis asked, not knowing of her act.

"He," she said in a deathly whisper. Elliot leaned in closer to listen to what she was saying.

"Yes, Lady Croft! Go on!" he encouraged, excited.

Lara gulped loudly enough. "He-"she began. "Killed Luddick!"

"WHAT!" Elliot screamed. The American officer could not believe her. Kurtis put his arm round her shoulders, slightly suspecting her behavior.

"'My paper will miss me if I don't report in,' he was saying," Lara whispered. "That big man in that picture," she said as she pointed towards the Swiss mercenary, "Gunderson brought him in and said 'Found him skulking around in the loading bay. Must have got a pass code.' This man, Eckhardt, he said to him, 'Close the door on your way Gunderson'."

"How'd you know about Eckhardt and Gunderson?" Elliot inquired. Kurtis panicked, yet managed to keep a brave face.

"I knew about Eckhardt from Werner von Croy. He was telling me that he had a client named Eckhardt and called him a psychopath. About Gunderson, Eckhardt just said that to him when he brought Luddick in."

"How'd you know that that specific man was Eckhardt?"

Lara breathed deeply in, and then continued: "Before giving me the pass code, Luddick showed me a picture. He thought that Louie Bouchard, the Parisian gang boss who I came to know off when I visited the Parisian Ghetto, and this Eckhardt were dossiers."

"Then?"

"Luddick said 'I have records on you Eckhardt! You can't hurt me.' Then Eckhardt replied 'I wish we had time to read them together. But it's too late and there are things – to be done.' Then he killed him. Electrocuted him."

Elliot nodded and said, "We would have to look further into the matter."

The last photograph was of Karel. Lara did not recognize him, she said.

"Alright. We have a lawyer for you: Maurice Sylvester. He'll meet you as soon as the snow stops. I have some more leads now. I will continue investigating. Thank you for your time. Goodbye," and he swiftly rose and left.

When the partners were sure that he had left, Lara stumbled to the ground with silent laughter. Kurtis closed the door and rushed towards the Lara had buried her head in her hands and was shaking uncontrollably.

He crouched beside her and grabbed her shoulders. "What's the matter with you!"

Lara threw back her head and laughed hard. Kurtis looked at her with a perplexed expression. Lara managed through deep pants and sudden outburst, "You should've seen the look you and Elliot had had! That little drama looked like as if it scared the living hell out of you!" and laughed as Kurtis shook his head, smiling and gave a little hug.

"Oh… It sure was funny!" Kurtis retorted admitting the fact. Then he too gave in and laughed aloud.

"Hey, you wanna grab up on some breakfast?" Lara asked, rubbing her stomach. "I'm famished!"

"Sure, c'mon! There's a restaurant downstairs."

Hehehehe… you must have guessed by now, I'm a die-hard Evanescence fan. And I was referring to their concert in Paris whose recording was their album "Anywhere but Home". I don't know of those people who actually sponsored that particular event, so I created "Firework Productions" of my own. "Firework Productions" are meant to be fictitious. Any reference to this company in real life would be purely co-incidental. Please review this chappie!